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QB O'Sullivan to start for 49ers again Thursday

49ERS BACKUP AGAINST BEARS WILL BE SMITH

By Daniel Brown Mercury News

Posted:
08/18/2008 09:42:33 PM PDT

Updated:
08/19/2008 07:35:15 AM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

: 49er quarterback #14 J.T. O'Sullivan runs drills during the the first day of 49ers training camp at the teams headquarters in Santa Clara on Friday July 25, 2008. (Richard Koci Hernandez/Mercury News)

J.T. O'Sullivan will start for the 49ers again this week, all but closing the door on Alex Smith's chances of winning the quarterback job.

Coach Mike Nolan held back on declaring the competition over Monday, but in announcing his choice for the Chicago Bears game he left little room for reasonable doubt.

In the NFL, the third exhibition game is viewed as the crucial final tune-up for the regular season. The fourth and final exhibition game is traditionally a light dress rehearsal for the starters, who play briefly if it all.

That means Thursday's game in Chicago represented Smith's last chance to make a significant impression with the first-team offense.

Instead, O'Sullivan will start a third consecutive game.

"He certainly has given me no reason to take him out right now,'' Nolan said.

If O'Sullivan plays a solid game against the Bears, he could wrap up the first starting assignment of an NFL career that has spanned six years and eight teams.

It would also complete a stunning fall for Smith, the former No. 1 draft pick who could wind up as a 24-year-old bench warmer after just 30 career starts.

The paychecks capture the vast differences between the candidates. O'Sullivan signed with the 49ers during the off-season for the NFL minimum salary of $645,000, and a $40,000 signing bonus; Smith got a $24 million signing bonus after getting drafted in 2005.

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Nolan, as has been his custom all training camp, warned against such grand analysis Monday. He said the deciding factor in choosing O'Sullivan to face the Bears was the abbreviated time to prepare coming off Saturday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

"I feel good about the rotation right now and I don't want to mix it up on the short week,'' Nolan said.

Would it have been a different decision with more time between games?

"Possibly,'' he said.

O'Sullivan has shown flashes over his first two starts, but also wobbled just enough to leave the door open.

Through two games, he is 13 for 25 for 225 yards with two interceptions, one touchdown, one fumble lost and no sacks. O'Sullivan's 10 drives have yielded five punts, three quarterback turnovers and two touchdowns.

Smith is 10 of 21 for 113 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks. His six drives have resulted in two field goals, one touchdown, two punts and a fumble (by receiver Dominique Zeigler).

When asked what Smith could do at this point to win the job, Nolan said: "Just keep playing well. He's been doing a good job. All three guys (including Shaun Hill) have been doing well. Some are getting more reps than others, but I've been pleased with all three of them. I do feel confident we've got three guys who can win games."

The quarterbacks were unavailable for comment after Nolan's decision. The announcement came late in the day as the players were being whisked off to meetings.

In the locker room after the Packers game, however, Smith sounded optimistic that the job remained up for grabs.

"I hope so. It is hard to tell,'' Smith said Saturday. "You're asking the wrong guy. "... They talked about going into the third preseason game and battling it out until then. I just hope I get the opportunity to start."

O'Sullivan threw for 154 yards in the first half that night, including a 59-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan on his final throw.

"I think everyone has something to prove in this league,'' O'Sullivan said. "Tonight I had another opportunity to go out and do it."

He'll get another opportunity Thursday — and it might be enough to end the debate.